A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to structural stabilizing apparatuses and systems for stabilizing recreational vehicles, trailers and the like. More specifically, this invention relates to stabilizing apparatuses and systems that are utilized in conjunction with the vehicle's jack support and leveling system to reduce or prevent swaying of the recreational vehicle when it is parked. Even more specifically, this invention relates to such recreational vehicle stabilizing apparatuses and systems that are adapted to be sold as a bolt-on kit.
B. Background
Many people utilize recreational vehicles to spend time camping, attending sporting events or traveling from one place to another. For purposes of this disclosure, recreational vehicles include those that are motorized, meaning they have a gasoline, diesel or other type of motor that drives the vehicle from one location to another, and those that must be towed behind another vehicle, such as a car or truck. Generally, when these vehicles are to be parked for any extended period of time, a set of leveling jacks are utilized to level and support the recreational vehicle. This is particularly true for non-motorized recreational vehicles, where the removal of the towing vehicle necessitates additional support to place and maintain the floor of the recreational vehicle in a substantially horizontal position. The most common types of leveling jacks, which are most commonly installed by the recreational vehicle manufacturer, are of the electric, scissor and telescoping type. Typically, such leveling jacks are used at both the front and the rear of the recreational vehicle and are adjusted to level the vehicle. The leveling jacks attach, often permanently, to the frame of the recreational vehicle to support the vehicle above the ground or other surface on which the recreational vehicle is parked.
Once the recreational vehicle is driven to the location where it will be parked, such as a campground or sporting event, the leveling jacks are engaged to take much of the weight off of the vehicle's wheels and to support the vehicle in a generally horizontal position. While parked, with the vehicle's leveling jacks set, people will commonly move around inside the recreational vehicle. Unfortunately, despite the leveling jacks and use of chock devices, those in the industry know and generally accept that the recreational vehicle will tend to sway in a side-by-side direction or shift in a front-to-back direction due to the movement inside the vehicle. Although considered at least somewhat annoying, most people either try to reduce movement, particularly rapid movement, inside the recreational vehicle or they try to just ignore this swaying and/or shifting of the recreational vehicle. For some people, however, this swaying and shifting of the recreational vehicle is very unpleasant and, as a result, substantially reduces their enjoyment of the recreational vehicle. Even those people who are able to ignore or just tolerate the swaying and shifting of the recreational vehicle would generally prefer that it did not occur.
The side-to-side swaying and/or front-to-back shifting of the recreational vehicle is generally due to play in the springs and shackles that mount the suspension to the frame and to play in the tires. While the suspension of recreational vehicles is suitable for supporting the vehicle as it is pulled by another vehicle or while it moves on its own power down the road, the suspension systems generally do not provide adequate stability to prevent swaying and shifting of the vehicle while it is parked. The factory installed electric, scissor and telescoping leveling jacks also do not stabilize the recreational vehicle from this swaying and shifting. The aftermarket industry has attempted to address the swaying and shifting problem with tripods or pin stabilizers for fifth wheel trailers and chock apparatuses for tires. However, as is well known, even these devices are manufactured with an industry-accepted tolerance of movement and play and, therefore, do not satisfactorily solve the suspension movement problem, particularly for recreational vehicles that are not of the fifth wheel type. Examples of stabilizing devices specifically configured for fifth wheel trailers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,362 to Raetz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,953 to Wilson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,311 to Clark. Generally, these patents describe stabilizer devices that are configured to engage the fifth wheel trailer's towing/connector pin, otherwise known as a gooseneck hitch, which is attached to the underside of the overhang portion of the fifth wheel trailer. These stabilizer devices have a pair of legs, which may be telescoping legs, with a ground engaging baseplate or shoe on the bottom thereof and a lateral connector, such as a chain or wire, that interconnects the legs to draw the legs together and maintain their proper relationship when the stabilizer system is engaged.
Stabilizing apparatuses and systems for other types of trailers or that do not engage the gooseneck hitch of a fifth wheel trailer are also well known in the recreational industry. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,492 to Stone describes a stabilizer apparatus comprising a pair of stabilizer assemblies, each having a vertical jack member and a diagonally disposed strut leg interconnected by a chain or other variable link connector, that is configured for placement under the front corners of a fifth wheel trailer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,348 to Holly discloses a recreational vehicle stabilizer comprising a pair of crossed stabilizer rods that interconnect the top of one coach landing leg (the leveling jack) with the bottom of the leg on the other side of the vehicle and which are joined at where they cross by a center clamp. The stabilizer rods connect to the landing legs by use of an adjusting pin. U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,251 to Dye describes a similar cross member stabilizing system. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,801,128 and 3,933,372 to Herndon describe trailer stabilizers that have a pair of telescoping legs, each with an attachment plate at the top and a ground engaging foot member at the bottom, that are joined by an elongated rod/spring member. The attachment plate attaches to the frame or underside of the trailer. Both the attachment plate and the foot member are pivotally attached to the legs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,463 to Livermont describes a trailer frame support having a pair of struts that are pivotally attached to the horizontal frame members which extend outward from the trailer to the trailer hitch connection. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,488 describes a stabilizing system for the slide-out compartment of a recreational vehicle. This system comprises a pair of telescoping legs, joined by ratchet style strap tensioner, that are pivotally attached to the slide-out track and rail structure.
While the forgoing patents describe stabilizing apparatuses and systems that generally provide some degree of stabilizing for their intended purpose, they have not heretofore effectively solved the problem of side-to-side swaying and front-to-back shifting that is a common problem and well known to those in the industry and to those who utilize recreational vehicles. What is needed, therefore, is a stabilizer apparatus and system for recreational vehicles and the like that substantially reduces or eliminates the swaying and shifting effect that occurs as a result of movement inside the recreational vehicle. The preferred stabilizer apparatus and system should be easy to install on most recreational vehicles, operate in conjunction with the vehicle's leveling jack system and be effective at stabilizing the vehicle so as to reduce or prevent swaying and shifting of the vehicle. It is also preferred that the stabilizer system be configured as a bolt-on kit which can be added to most typical leveling jack systems that are used to level and support recreational vehicles.